Called as a shepherd teacher when the congregation needs a missionary leader.

No training in congregation turnaround.

The people inside the congregation look different (older, whiter, etc.) than the people outside the congregation. People inside the church like the way things are and people outside the church ignore the church because of the way things are. (Read 4 Ways to Keep Your Church a Fort.)

No source of income when the church can no longer pay your salary.

Inability to celebrate and end well a once valuable ministry or program that has outlived its purpose or failed to adapt to its new realities. (Read Necessary Endings.)

Inability to navigate the clumsy, emotion-driven, muddled middle of discovering what comes next after a necessary ending.

Talking past people that resist change because of the unknown they fear in front of them.

Talking past people that resist change because they grieve the loss of what they’ve valued.

Trying to lead people who have lost the sense of adventure of following Jesus and fulfilling his mission.

Never recognizing that you have little control of outcomes and trusting God to work in ways you haven’t asked for or imagined.